Affixes

Affixes are elements added to a base word to change its meaning or grammatical function. Understanding affixes helps expand vocabulary and improve word formation skills.

Definition / Explanation

An affix is a morpheme added to a word. Affixes include prefixes (at the beginning of a word) and suffixes (at the end of a word). They can change the meaning, tense, part of speech, or grammatical function of the base word.

Types of Affixes

• Prefix: Added to the beginning of a word to change meaning. Example: un + happy = unhappy
• Suffix: Added to the end of a word to change meaning or part of speech. Example: teach + er = teacher
• Infix: Rare in English; inserted inside a word, often for emphasis in slang. Example: fan-bloody-tastic
• Circumfix: Added around a word, more common in other languages.

Rules / Guidelines

• Prefixes do not usually change the part of speech of the base word: unkind (adjective), redo (verb).
• Suffixes often change the part of speech: teach (verb) → teacher (noun).
• Be aware of spelling changes when adding affixes: happy → happiness, rely → reliable.
• Some affixes alter meaning in subtle ways; consult dictionaries if unsure.

Examples

Prefixes: unhappy, disconnect, preview, misplace
Suffixes: teacher, happiness, quickly, readable
Infix (slang): fan-bloody-tastic
Multiple affixes: unpredictable (un + predict + able)

Practice Exercises

1. Identify the prefix: "rewrite"
2. Identify the suffix: "careful"
3. Create a new word using the prefix "dis-" and the verb "agree".
4. Create a new word using the suffix "-ness" and the adjective "kind".
5. Explain the meaning of "unbelievable" based on its affixes.

Answers / Explanation

1. Prefix: re-
2. Suffix: -ful
3. New word: disagree
4. New word: kindness
5. Unbelievable = not (un-) able to be believed (-able) → something very surprising or incredible.